Talking or singing doll and other figure or statuette



' C. E. RICHARDSON TALKING OR SINGING DOLL AND OTHER FIGURE OR STATUETTE Filed Jan. 12, 1922 (mrkgztma Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. RICHARDSON, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

Appflication filed January 12, 1922. Serial No. 528,785.

1 '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLns E. RICHARD- soN, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Syracuse, county of Onondaga, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Talking or Singing Dolls and Other Figures or Statuettes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in so-called figure toys; and the objects and nature of the invention will be readily understood by-those skilled in the art in the light of the following explanation of the accompanying drawings illustrating what I now believe to be the preferred mechanical expression or embodiment of my invention among other forms, constructions and arrangements within the spirit and scope thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide a figure toy that embodies a talking machine (phonograph) the,working parts of which are exteriorly arranged with respect to the figure while the body of the figure is utilizedto form or enclose an amplifier or tone chamber to increase the resonance of the tones and to carry out the impression that the tones originate within the figure, i. e., that the figure is singing or speaking.

With these andv other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features in construction and in combinations and arrangements as more fully and particularly et forth and specified hereinafter. i Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevatlon of a figure toy embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, dotted lines indicating certain hid'd'en parts.

Fig. 3, is a horizontal section taken in the plane of the line 3 3, Fig. 1, the figure.

not being shown.

Fig. 4, is a sectional detail of the structure of Fig. 1 showing the tone arm entering the back of the toy figure instead of the lower end thereof, also showing the ex-.

terior walls ofthe body constituting the walls of the amplifier or amplifier chamber.

The toy of my invention embodies a fig ure, a talking machine, and a common support or carrier, for the figure and machine. The talking machine is arranged at the exterior of the figure so that reproducing and operating parts are readily accessible. The

. or side of the talking machine box.

talking machine is also approximately concealed behind the figure. The figure provides an internal tone chamber or amplifier to which the exterior movable tone arm leads. The tone arm is equipped with the reproducing mechanism that cooperates with the record disk, in the usual or any suitable manner.. The amplifier is so located within a suitable portion of the figure as to impart fullness and resonance to the reproduced tones and create the impression that the tones are issuing from the figure, and that the figure is capable of talking, singing or otherwise producing sounds, while reducing to the minimum interference by extraneous noises generated by the working parts of the exterior talking machine and its reproducer.

In the particular embodiment of my invention shown as an examplefor purposes of explanation and illustration, the figure toyis portable and readily movable on a horizontal support such as the floor, a table top, or the like, although I do not so wish to so limit all features of my invention. In this example, said toy embodies a horizontal platform or base l having roller, supports 2 to permit free movement or travel of the figure toy. This platform 1 can be formed by the base of a talking machine or phonograph box 3. In other words, a talking machine 3 is permanently arranged on this base 1, and this talking machine embodies any suitable motor and gearing within the box, the horizontal rotary disk table 4 ar-v ranged and exposed above the box in the usual or any other suitable manner and actuated by the motor, and adapted to receive and carry the usual or any suitable record disk 5. The winding crank or handle 6 for the -motor isreadily accessible and is here shown projecting from the rear i lllld e rotary table is exposed atthe top of the box and is readily accessible to permit easy application and removal of records, as well as free movement ofan'd access to the reproducing mechanism which is, as usual,

arranged above the record when in Opera tive relation with respect thereto. Hoiwever,'I do not wish to necessarily limit all features of my invention, to a talking machine having a rotary table on which the record rests and to and from which records can'be readily applied and replaced,

and is arranged toapproximate y cover and conceal the same from view of a person located infront of the toy.

The statuette can represent or simulate any desired human, animal or other figure, in any desired position, attitude or posture,

v although in the particular example illustrated, I show a doll 7 in a standing posit ion, in front of and relatively great in height with respect to the talking machine box and its record 5. This doll rises from the front portion of the base 1 and is carried thereby and preferably forms a more or less permanent fixture or part of the .toy by being directly or indirectly secured to the base or to the box that is fixed on the base.

In whatever form the toy figure may be produced, within some suitable part of the figure, isarranged or formed a. tone chamber or amplifier 8 having a preferably forwardly opening mouth or outlet 8. This tone chamber is entirelyenclosed Within the toy fi ure, while the tone arni 9, leading to said 0 amber is arranged at the exterior of v the figure and at its free end carries the sound or reproducing box 10 that is equipped with the diaphragm and cooperating stylus or needle to cooperate with the'record on the disk 5 in the process of reproduction, in the usual or any suitable manner. In :he particular example illustrated, the tone arm is freely swin able laterally and vertically and extends ownwardly and rearwardly from the tone chamber 'to the record. The

Y upper'forward end of the tone arm opens into the small end of the'tone chamber and the tone arm is coupled to the'figure through the medium of universal or ball. joint 11 which constitutes the tone arm supporting connection.

In the instance shown where the figure is in the form of a standin doli. the tone chamber 8 is within the upright hollow body shell 7 of the doll and the mouth 8 of the amplifier opens forwardly through the front of the body. The tone arm can enter the dolls body at any desired point, even though in this instance, I happen'toshow said arm entering the lower end of the body. In this instance, the amplifier or tone chamber is formed b a. housing in addition to the doll body 'shel 7 (although said shell can be .;utilized*to form the tone chamber walls) andfthe tone: arm 9. ente rs the tone chamber ,or amplifier throughalined openings in the shell and housing and is lnin supported by said housing. [In this instance,

from and also, the shell of the doll body that encloses the amplifier, forms air spaces within the shell and at the exterior of the amplifier, that tend to increase the fullness of the reproduced tones and tend to reduce interference by extraneous noise and vibration. In

vertical frame 13 can, if so desired, constitute the major supporting structure of the figure, or if so desired, the legs 7 can constitute supporting elements.

The doll. figure is preferably provided with a loose removable fabric dress or dra ery 14 which extends over and conceals t 1e amplifier mouth 8, and also covers the supporting upright 13, and if so desired covers and conceals the tone arm 9. This dress is formed in any suitable manner to permit application to and removal from the doll and securing thereof, as by snap fasteners 15 to retain its normal position on the doll.

The amplifier is of large capacity with respect to the tone arm and also with respect to the figure, as said'amplifier forms a large chamber that approximately fully occupies the interior of the dolls body, so that the entire body acts as a resonator in improving and imparting fullness and resonance to the reproduced tones that issue from the doll. While the upright rigid frame 13 preferably acts and serves as a stiffening brace for the doll in maintaining the upright position thereof and its connection with the base and as a stiffening brace and support for the parts carrying the tone arm 9, yct said u right 13 does not necessarily carry the do. I, as the doll is usually complete in itself and fixed to the base.

As hereinbefore stated, the tone arm can enter the amplifier (the body of the toy figure) at any suitable point. For instance, Fig. 4, shows the vertically and laterally swingable tone arm 9 enterin the amphfier through the back of the bofy of the figure and at its inner end, if so desired, formed to direct the sound upwardly rather than directly forward toward the mouth 8' of the amplifier. The tone arm and talking machine in the figure can be otherwise as appears in Fig. 1.

Also, as ereinbefore recited, the toy figure can have its bod variously constructed and formed internal? to rovide the internal amplifier, either by a ded walls or linings within the body, or as shown b Fig. 4, the exterior wall 7 of the body can orm and constitute the wall of the amplifier or amplifier chamber with the frontmouth 8".

III

it of my invention, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact disclosures hereof.

What I claim is 1. A figure toy comprising a figure, a talking machine, and a common carrier for the figure and machine, said figure embodying and enclosing a tone amplifier and provided with an exterior tone arm leading to said amplifier from the tonereproducing means,

said machine being locate behind and ex teriorly arranged and accessible with respect to said figure and provided with tone reproducing means in direct communication with said amplifier.

' 2. In combination, a toy figure provided with and containing an amplifier for the sounds reproduced by a talking machine to create the impression that such sounds are made by the figure, and a talking, machine exteriorly arranged with respect to said toy figure and having an exterior tone arm placing its reproducing mechanism in direct sound conveying communication with said amplifier within the figure, the record and reproducing mechanism of the talking machine being accessible at the rear of said figure.

3. A toy comprising a base, a relatively low-down rear talking machine carried thereby, and a toy figure carried thereby and provided with an internal tone chamber of large capacity, the talking machine sound reproducing mechanism being in sound conveying communication with said chamber, the talking machine being arranged outside of the figure with'its record and reproducing mechanism accessible exteriorly thereof.

4. A figure toy comprising a toy figure and a talking machine secured together as a unitary structure and arranged exteriorly of each other, the toy figure containing the tone chamber for the sounds reproduced by the talking machine, andv provided with an exterior tone arm leading from said chamber to the reproducing mechanism, the record and reproducing mechanism being accessible at the exterior of the figure, and the figure and talking machine so arranged that the clothing of the fi re will normally cover and conceal the tal ing machine.

5. A ortable figure toy comprising a talking mac inc and a toy figure arran ed exteriorly of and to one side of the mac inc and supported therewith as a unitary structure, the record and reproducin means of the machine being exposed an accessible, the figure provided with and containing a concealed amplifier and a tone arm leading from the ampllfier to the exterior of the figure and in sound receiving communication with the reproducing means of the machine, the figure adapted to receive clothing that will normally conceal the talking machine.

6. A toy comprising a support, a talkin machine carried thereby, a toy figure carrie thereby and provided with and concealing an amplifier for the sounds reproduced by the machine, said machine being arranged outside of the figure with its record and sound reproducing means exposed for easyaccess and embodying a swingable tone arm carried by the figure and depending from said v am lifier.

7. A gure toy comprising a talking machine box provided with a talkin machine, and a doll secured to said box an arranged exteriorly thereof, the body of the doll provided with and concealing an amplifier for the sounds re roduced by said machine, the sound repro ucing means of said machine having a tone arm at the exterior of the doll andleading into said amplifier, the reproducing means and record being accessible exteriorly with respect to the doll. 8. A fi re toy comprising atalking machine and a figure supported to ether as a unitary structure, the machine eing exteriorly arranged and accessible with respect to the figure and located behind the same to be approximately concealed thereby from the front, the body of the figure being hollow and provided with and concealing an amplifier for the sounds reproduced by said machine, a sound conveying connection being provided exteriorl of said body to convey the sounds repro need by the machine to said amplifier.

CHARLES E. RICHARDSON. 

